A Vampire's Fate
by Kiyohime
Summary: Natsuki Kuga, a vampire huntress, is sent on a mission to eliminate the head vampire but only to find out she had been dragged in middle of a war between two races. ShizNat and BRIEF ShizNao. Rating will change later.
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, yea.. So.. I know I have too many stories that are unfinished, lol. This one, I was strongly compelled to write._

_Kuga, I know what you're thinking… "Finally!" XD Enjoy, love!_

**It Begins**

_The strong stench of blood plagued the once fresh air as innocents were brutally slain and sucked dry. Loud banging of doors being kicked open one by one echoed through out the long hallway, luckily enough they were too loud for a lone figure's whimpers to be heard._

"_Shh, shh.. It's okay." A soft reassuring voice soothed the whimpering one's fear just slightly, but not enough. _

"_FIND HER AND BRING HER TO ME! **NOW**!" the shouting voice sounded harsh. _

"_M-mama… a-are we going to be killed?" Fear-filled viridian hues peered up at the other, pleading for salvation. Lithe fingers gripped tighter on the woman's sleeve, sensing the evil aura of their enemies growing stronger. They must be getting close._

_The doors to the royal throne were nearly tore off when they were flung open with such force, making the cement wall behind it crack. _

"_She's here… I can smell her blood. Search the room!" _

_Left with no choice, the woman whispered to her daughter to stay put and not to move one single inch till she says so. Stricken with fear, the little girl clung to her mother's arm and whimpered, shaking her head vigorously. _

"_It'll be ok, sweetie…"_

_With a kiss on her forehead, the mother gave her daughter one last smile and disappeared out of the door. _

"_Ah! So the Lady decides to face us! You could've saved us the trouble by doing so earlier! But that's alright… either way, after we're done with you… this place is ours!" Smug laughter broke out followed by a low growl from the queen._

"_This place will never be yours, you filthy piece of shit!" _

"_Oh, isn't that so?" A chuckle, "Well, seeing that more than half of your army has been wiped out… you've got no chance against us. It's hopeless. Surrender or suffer."_

"_NEVER!" The queen roared with fury and made a quick snatch to her katana mounted on a nearby shelf. _

_Paralyzed with fear, the little girl could only hide in the closet and listen intently. She jumped slightly as she heard a pained cry… it sounded like her mother._

'_M-mama!!!'_

------

"**NO**!"

Black sheets rustled as a navy haired woman bolted up from her sleep, drenched with cold sweat and panted heavily.

"…Shit… Why won't that damn dream go away?" the woman grumbled angrily, kicking the blanket off of her and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

As if it was on cue, the cell phone on the nightstand nearby rang loudly, earning a low growl from the young woman. She snatched the phone, flipped it open and barked in it, "What?!"

"Geez, Natsuki, I wish you'd be more friendly when you wake up!"

"…" A soft grumble, "Gomen, Mai. What's up?"

"You need to get down here a.s.a.p. Boss has called for a meeting."

"If it's another pointless meeting, I'm not going."

"He has found their location."

Viridian hues sparked up with hope and the woman quickly retorted before hanging up, "Be there in a couple."

_Finally, we've found them… I can avenge her death at last. _Scuttling about the room, the woman snatched her black leather suit and got dressed with haste. Along the way out the door, she grabbed her keys and helmet. Just then, the clock read 3 AM. Distant roars of a motorcycle revving to life tore through the silent morning and faded away.

Natsuki Kuga was a vampire hunter and every vampire hunter had a reason to be one. Natsuki's, however, is more personal. The nightmare that had plagued her mind every night was more than enough of a reason for her. The bastards had slaughtered her mother like a lamb and gotten away with it. Her boss had assumed that the head vampire was behind the conspiracy in killing every single innocent that resided in every manor to reclaim them as theirs. It dreaded Natsuki. The thought of vampires controlling the whole damn country and she refused to live like that.

----

_**Vampires' Hunters headquarters - Tokyo, Japan**_

_**3:30 A.M. **_

A black Ducati999 zoomed down an alley, the driver maneuvered around the obstacles easily at a high speed as if she was a racing pro. Homeless people didn't dare to stay in that alley anymore, not after an incident with one being nearly ran over one night by the same motorcyclist. The Ducati purred as it slowed down and came to a halt by the back entrance to the headquarters. Natsuki kicked the stand down, shut her vehicle off and un-mounted the motorcycle, the leather suit rustling softly as she moved.

"K-kuga! About time you got here," Natsuki inaudibly winced at the familiar voice and growled low.

"Oi, Takeda, it's nice that you're waiting for me and all… but will you stop that?? It almost seems like you're stalking me," unlatching the strap that held the helmet in place, hands then slapped on the sides of the helmet and pulled it off. Silky navy locks fell down unscathed and viridian eyes glared at the man stepping out from the shadows.

The man had short spiky brown hair and deep forest eyes, he appeared to be elegant and polite at first glance. Any girl would think he's cute, but Natsuki would've scoffed at that and declared him as a creep. The man stuttered, flustering embarrassedly at the sudden accusation, "I-I'm not stalking you! I just… uhmm, boss asked me to wait for you!"

A stoic look was fixated on the young motorcyclist's face, "Whatever. Move," Natsuki gently pushed Takeda aside and punched the number code for entry in the key pad and headed inside, leaving the young man behind shunned as usual.

Passing by other fellow vampire hunters, Natsuki didn't bother to look at them nor speak to single one of them. She knew what she'd see in their faces. Cold and empty. Every single vampire hunter she knew in this building had something against vampires. Why else would they become a vampire hunter?

"K-kuga! Please wait!"

Takeda Masashi, on the other hand, was a different story. It was painfully obvious to Natsuki why he joined her on their side. Poor boy had been attempting to win the ice princess's heart ever since Middle School.

"Ah, Kuga-san and Takeda… how nice of you both to finally join us," a young handsome man with stone gray eyes beamed a smile at the duo as they entered the room.

"Oi, boss… would it hurt you to put your errand boy on a leash?" Natsuki grumbled as she slammed her helmet down on the table and plopped down in her seat.

The man chuckled and shook his head, "Now, now Kuga-san… settle down."

"Whatever. Let's get on with it already, Kanazaki. I hear you've found their location??" Cutting to the chase as per usual, Natsuki put on a determined expression. She was eager to get her revenge.

"Kyoto. In the mountains… they're hiding in the Fujino Manor. I've sent a spy over there to keep track on them in case they were to flee. We must move quickly."

After Kanazaki mapped out the manor, the basics and the points of entry to the Manor, the teams were dispatched to the helicopter immediately. They had been separated into two teams, Natsuki was assigned in team one along with her best friends, Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi. Unfortunately, Kanazaki Reito, the devil, as Natsuki likes to consider him, assigned Takeda into her team. The entire trip to Kyoto, Natsuki glared daggers at Takeda, warning him not to come near her while Mai just snickered at them both.

-------

_**Fujino Manor - Mountains of Kyoto**_

_**4:15 A.M.**_

Strange feelings started to stir up in the young huntress as the helicopter neared the manor stranded in the middle of the woods. The night sky started to yield to the rising sun slowly, but it was still dark enough. For the vampires to come out and attack if they needed. Natsuki had to be careful and alert. Very alert. Turning into one of them was the very last thing on her list right now… she refused to live her life as a victim of the damned.

"Alright, everyone… this is it. This might be our only chance to rid our country of their filth," Kanazaki glanced at each one of his team mates and nodded, "Remember, our priority is to find the leader and eliminate him or her."

_Great… he doesn't even know whether this leader is a male or female. Makes things harder. Well, whatever… I'm killing every single one I see anyway. They're all gonna pay. _Natsuki glared out the side window towards the manor.

From what she could see, the walls were made out of stones, like how a castle would be. How traditional of vampires. The windows were made out of heavily color-stained glass. Obviously to prevent the sun rays from going through and killing them during day. It appeared to be a three-story manor. _Yep, definitely gonna take a while… dammit. I bet the leader is on the top floor… or in the basement. _Heaving a sigh, Natsuki grabbed her heavy chest armor and strapped it on. Leaning down, she then tied her combat boots up tight enough and reached for her M4, custom-made to be able to hold/fire ultraviolet rounds.

After the pilot found a secure spot to land just a mile away from the manor, both teams checked their equipment and armor before stepping out. Kanazaki stayed behind and wished them good luck. Natsuki found this strange. She knew that Reito would always come with them on missions and lead them. She shrugged, turned away from the helicopter and started her journey through the horde of maple trees. It was autumn, so the leaves were already turning into a shade of deep red and shed from their branches.

The teams moved quickly through the woods, their weapons armed and ready to fire if needed. They were also supplied with night vision scope to find the vampires easier in the dark. Natsuki had excellent sight and hearing, so the scope wasn't much of help to her. In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the manor. As expected and mentioned by Reito, a black iron fence surrounded the manor and stood up about eight feet. One by one, Natsuki helped one other member haul their other team mates up and over the fence. Natsuki was the last to climb up and vault over the fence.

As both teams separated and headed in the directions of their assigned points of entry, Natsuki let out a firm sigh, armed her weapon and led her team towards the side door.

From a window on the top floor, a pair of vermilion eyes were fixated on the huntress and a small smirk danced across her lips, "At last, you've arrived… Kuga-san."

**TBC**


	2. The Meeting

_Finally, here's chapter two! _

_I want to thank all who read the first chapter and reviewed. They were very appreciated. :D I hope this chapter will be to your likings._

**Chapter Two**

"M'lady, they've arrived," A man in his early 20s announced as he approached the woman by the window.

Baring her fangs as she grinned pleasantly, the woman gave an approving nod to the man before turning her attention back to the young huntress stalking towards the side door.

"Shall I tell Suzu--"

"No," interrupted the woman, her intense observation seemed to be fixated on the huntress till Natsuki disappeared through the side door and stopped as she turned to the man. She chuckled softly upon seeing the confused expression on the man's face, "I will tell her myself. I want to see this Kuga first. I believe that this person might not be what we think he is… I think this person is a she."

"…She? But I thought--"

"So did I… I could be wrong. You may go now."

"Yes, m'lady," with slight hesitance, the man bowed to the woman and left to assemble his men to defend.

"Ara, ara… so could this Kuga actually be the _heiress? _I think you neglected to explain something to me, father…" The woman idly smirked lightly, "But this should be interesting."

---

_Meanwhile, downstairs with team one…_

The four split up, Takeda had persisted on going with Natsuki but the huntress threatened that if he went with her, she'd kick his ass if he tried anything. In defeat, the young man went along with Mai and Mikoto.

Natsuki silently trotted down a long hallway, the floor was covered with dark crimson rug. Along the walls, various pictures of different people, both male and female were hung up. They were assumed to be ancestors, judging by the old fashioned clothes most of them wore. Underneath the pictures, name tags were provided. Most of them had 'Fujino' as their last names. One picture, in particular, had captured the huntress's attention as she reached the main entrance to another room. Across from the double doors, a picture of two men in their early 30s and a young woman was hung. The woman looked painfully familiar and so did one of the men. The woman had striking emerald eyes and raven hair pulled back up in a bun, she was smiling and seemed to be happy. The man did too, but it was the eyes that put Natsuki off… they were red. Red like blood. The other man had gray eyes and black hair slicked back. He reminded Natsuki of someone, but who?

A sudden creaking noise stole Natsuki's attention as she spun around swiftly and aimed her M4 towards the double doors, her breathing had quickened and her heart pounded in her ears. She thought she heard footsteps behind one of the doors, but now, the door was ajar slightly. Completely rapt, she inched slowly towards the door and with one foot, she pushed it open enough so she could enter. Natsuki nearly gasped upon seeing the room she had entered. It was huge enough you could fit a plane in there. The room had a Victorian sense of style to it like the rest of the manor. More pictures were hung up around the room along with various Japanese decorations. In the middle of the room, a large staircase led up to the second floor with more doors to more rooms.

_Yeah, this is definitely going to take a while… _

But right now, the pictures around the room were creeping her out. She felt like there were eyes on her, watching her every move.

'_My, my… such a nice body… I wonder if there's a pretty face that goes with it?'_

"What the--" the voice in Natsuki's head had her attention right away as she warily scanned the room for any other sign of life.

"Usually, I eliminate intruders in my home… but you're a different story."

Natsuki aimed towards the staircase and paused at the person at top of the stairs. Despite the fact Natsuki was an expert hunter, her defenses were beginning to falter, just slightly. Apparently, the person at the top of the staircase had entranced the young huntress. But then again, around this person, who wouldn't be…

Natsuki found it difficult to tear her gaze away from the person's eyes. It was as if she was looking into two pools of blood. In the back of her head, she remembered the man with red eyes in that picture. As odd the eyes were, Natsuki could've sworn she has never seen anybody this beautiful ever.

"Ara, aren't you going to say anything or do you plan to stare at me all day?" A light smirk accompanied the remark.

The young huntress was grateful for masks, as this one hid the blush spreading across her cheeks. She growled lowly, glaring at the woman, "S-shut up!" Tightening her grip onto the M4, Natsuki targeted the M4 on the red-eyed woman and moved her finger onto the trigger.

"Ah, ah… I wouldn't do that if I were you," the woman's eyes seemed to darken a bit as her smirk grew wider, revealing one of her fangs.

_Fucking vampire…_

'_Mou, ikezu… what's with the bad language? Not all vampires are that bad, you know.' _

_Nani!? Did she just---_

'_Yes, I can read minds. Such a wonderful ability, is it not? Now, please aim that thing elsewhere.' _

"Or you'll what?" Suddenly feeling smug, Natuski smirked at the woman and readied herself to pull the trigger… little did she know, she made a horrible mistake.

By a blink of the eye, the red-eyed vampire wasn't at the top of the steps anymore. It all happened so fast that Natsuki couldn't even process it into her mind. All she remembered was her weapon being knocked out of her hands effortlessly and was now pinned against a wall. She vaguely remembered feeling a force pushing against her. Blinking once then twice, a fierce blush broke out on the huntress's face as she realized the vampire had shoved a leg between hers and was partially pinning her against the wall with it. Her wrists had been grabbed by the vampire and held above her head. Natsuki had to bite on her lower lip to prevent a whimper from coming out, due to the pressure of the vampire's thigh pressing against her.

"Ara… such beautiful eyes…" the red-eyed temptress cooed softly and chuckled as Natsuki growled at her.

"L-let me go, dammit!!" Oddly enough, Natsuki didn't want her to let go… the scent from the vampire was intoxicating. She smelled like cherry blossoms and green tea. The body heat radiating from the vampire wasn't helping much either. It was as if she put Natsuki under a spell.

"Now, now… you broke into my home, aimed a weapon at me and used vulgar language… I think you should be punished. However, I'd like to see your face first…"

Just as the vampire was about to take the mask off, a slightly timid but gruff voice interrupted and it sounded panicked, "G-get away from Kuga-san, you freak!"

It wasn't long before gunfire broke out, meant to hit the vampire but they missed and made impact with the floor, just few inches away from Natsuki's feet. The vampire was faster than Takeda thought and dodged the bullets effortlessly. She was now back at the steps but at the bottom of them and pouted, "Ikezu… I only wanted to see her face."

For a moment there, Natsuki thought the vampire looked cute when she pouted then viridian hues widened in shock and shook the thought out of her head and growled at Takeda, "YOU IDIOT!"

"K-kuga-san?! B-but, she was going to bite you!"

"YOU ALMOST SHOT MY FOOT! And I can handle myself just fine!" The young huntress snapped and dove for her M4, "What the hell are you doing with a gun anyway!? I told Mai not to let you get near one!"

"Tokiha-san is unconscious…"

"What!?"

"FUJINO! What is the meaning of this?!" a loud voice boomed as a blonde vampire stormed into the room from the balcony door on the second floor. She seemed to be lugging something… or someone behind her.

"MAI!" Recognizing the fiery shade of orange hair, Natsuki snarled and demanded the blonde to let her go.

Mai was unconscious as Takeda said, it seemed that she got hit on the head with something solid, evident by a small amount of blood dripping down her face. Mikoto was no where to be seen and Natsuki got more angrier and worried by the minutes. Her grip on the M4, which she had regained possession of, was tight enough that her knuckles turned white.

The red-eyed vampire sighed and crossed her arms across her chest, "Suzushiro-san, what did I tell you about hitting our guests over the head?"

"What?! This isn't a guest! This is a delinquent! She aimed a gun at Yukino and threatened to shoot her!" the blonde bellowed with fury and tossed Mai in front of Fujino and this made Natsuki even more angrier.

"You bitch! You're going down!" Natsuki aimed her M4 at the blonde and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, the bullets missed the blonde as she swiftly moved to the side and glared at her, her violet eyes fired up with rage.

"Suzushiro," Fujino suddenly spoke again, seriously this time, "I will deal with them. Go and stay with Yukino."

"But--"

"_Now."_

The blonde visibly flinched at the stern tone from Fujino and grumbled, "FINE! But if they give you trouble, there'll be no mercy!" Suzushiro gave Natsuki one last snarl, stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Ara, you'll have to excuse her behavior. She tends to…ah, overreact," with that, she smiled at Natsuki, "I'm glad you've finally arrived, Kuga-san. I've been waiting for you."

"W-what?? How did you know my last name?!"

Fujino chuckled lightly, "Guess I have to do a lot of explaining… but first, let me introduce myself… I am Countess Fujino Shizuru, heiress of the Fujino Manor and your future wife."

Viridian eyes dilated at the last part as the blood drained from her face.

_WHAT THE HELL!!!_

**TBC**


	3. New Pet?

_I know it may seems short, but hopefully it'll satisfy all of you. I'm sorry that it took me forever to get this updated. I can only promise you that I have no intentions in quitting writing. So, please be patient with me and my further updates._

**Chapter Three**

_Everything was dark when I slowly regained consciousness. _

_It didn't take long before I felt searing pain tearing through my body and most of it gathered in my head. I remember now. I had put up a hard fight…only to end up being knocked out. _

_That Fujino Shizuru… in my experience of fighting and killing vampires, I had never came across a vampire with this kind of strength and speed. _

_She's no ordinary vampire._

Slowly opening my eyes, I groaned in response to the pain and blinked some, trying to clear up my vision. The first thing that came in sight were those red pools. I glared at her threateningly.

"Now, now… take it easy. I'm sorry I didn't take it easy on you, but you wouldn't listen," the countess sighed gently.

"And why the hell should I listen to YOU out of all people!? You murdered them all… and my mother!"

I watched as her eyebrows furrow in confusion. _'Oh hell no… you're not acting dumb with me!' _

"Spit it out, Fujino… no use in lying. I know it was you,"

"Ara… I will admit, I have killed my share of pitiful mortals, but I'm afraid you have the wrong person. You don't know me at all, Kuga. If you really have common sense, you should know not to jump to conclusions," the Countess spoke with seriousness.

I couldn't do anything but huff in frustration, yet I held my cold gaze against hers.

"…Tell me, what exactly are you?"

Shizuru merely smirked and winked at me, which agitated me because I knew she'd be evading the question, "I will tell you… but not now. There are more important things I have to explain."

"Yea… I suppose you do… like how the hell am I your future wife?! You can't be serious."

"I am serious. I guess your mother just never told you…" her crimson hues seemed to darken slightly as she looked right into my eyes and I had to hold back a shudder. It felt like she was looking right into my soul.

"Yes, I knew your mother. She was the most kindest woman I've ever met. Too bad that trait was never passed on," offended by the remark, I growled lowly at the vampire.

"How the hell can you be so sure that I'm the daughter of someone you used to know?!"

Shizuru chuckled, "Ara, if that's not your last name on your vest, then I'd like to know what it means."

'…_Natsuki, baka!'_

"…Your eyes," that Kyoto-accented voice spoke again but softly this time, throwing me off guard, "They're just like hers. They hold a special secret."

I studied the vampire carefully as she gazed back at me. What she just said, I could tell that it meant something more. A secret that I don't know about… yet. Suddenly, I remember the young woman in that picture I saw out in the hall. _'Could it be? Impossible.'_

Loud sounds of glass breaking tore me out of my reverie and turned my attention to where it came from. Something or someone had shot through one of the color-stained windows and landed in between of me and the Countess. Recognizing the sword the newcomer wielded, I felt a rush of relief wash over to see Mikoto was still alive.

The young hunter growled lowly as she swiftly unsheathed her katana and charged at the red-eyed temptress.

I started to worry a little. If Shizuru was capable of knocking me out, there's no telling what she could do to Mikoto. In duels, me and Mikoto are pretty much equally skilled and agile. Shizuru defeated me which means Mikoto might have no chance against her.

Shizuru had managed to dodge the swing of Mikoto's katana and knocked the attacking one back with a knee to her stomach forcefully. I noticed that she was only dodging her attacks after. She didn't even want to fight.

"Mikoto! Stop! She won't hurt us. She doesn't want to fight."

Shizuru glanced at me briefly with minor surprise. She was probably shocked by the fact I, a vampire hunter, had trusted her enough. I didn't know how or why, but I just knew I could trust her. Mikoto backed a few feet away and narrowed her eyes at the Countess. I could tell she wanted to get revenge for Mai, but she knew that she could trust me so she had no choice but to obey. A distant yell was heard and Shizuru glanced to the main doors then back at me.

"Your friend will be fine," Shizuru nodded her head towards Mai to emphasize who she was talking about, "I apologize for Haruka-san's brutal behavior towards her. She is quite protective of Yukino."

"Fujino!" the blonde had returned, storming through the main doors, "I can sense him nearby!"

'_Him who…?'_

As I wondered who the blonde was talking about, I took note of the Countess' expression. I could tell she was now concerned and the look in her eyes made me shiver. They became cold just as the aura surrounding her did.

"Haruka, please take Kuga and her friends to the guest room," I was about to protest, there was no way in hell I'd stay in this manor. However, I still needed to hear Shizuru's explanation about what the hell was going on so I remained silent.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you three leave… yet," the crimson gaze was locked on me.

--

"Sir? Are you sure? I mean, shouldn't we wait…"

"I said return to the Headquarters now," Reito coolly replied, his gaze cold and demanding.

"Y-yes, sir," the pilot of the helicopter proceeded to levitate the aircraft in the air and flew off, leaving everyone else behind.

A small yet sinister grin crept across the young man's lips, _'At last, I've found you, my dear Shizuru.'_

_--_

From a window, on the top floor of the manor, a young girl with red hair and eyes of venom watched silently as the helicopter left.

"Hm… this can't be good."

"A-are you even sure it's him?" a soft and timid voice squeaked.

The other person snorted, "Oh please, Yukino. If it is, let him bring his pretty ass down here so I can send it to hell--"

"You realize that he holds the blood of a superior race, right? He is no normal vampire. He's a monster," a huskier voice interrupted.

"Whatever. Shizuru's one of them too isn't she? Besides, she hates his guts. There's no way in hell she'll be beaten so easily. You should already know, Midori, that the Fujino Shizuru is not to be fucked with. At all."

An older woman chuckled softly as she leaned against the wall and smirked, her olive hues was observing a mark on the nape of the younger girl's neck that appeared a bit too deep, "Yeah, I'd say… that's one hell of a love bite you got there. You piss her off in bed or something?"

The younger girl of the two grinned, reminiscing the sweet moments of the previous night, "You'd like to know, wouldn't you? What's going on with the hunters, by the way? Shizuru's sure taking her time…"

Midori's olive eyes glanced back at the younger one, "Heh, you could say that."

"What do you mean by that?"

"…Apparently, Shizuru's got a new 'pet'."

Jealousy sparked in venom hues as they glared out the window, "Oh, really…"

"Somebody's jealous"

"What?? You're delirious!" the younger girl huffed softly, a soft blush adoring her cheeks.

"Sure, sure… if you say so," Midori laughed as she headed out of the room.

'…_Damn it. Shizuru's mine… no one else's! A new pet, eh? We'll see about that.' _

TBC

**Next chapter: **The secret of Natsuki's mother is revealed and Natsuki makes a new rival.


	4. Purebloods

_And here's chapter four. I hope this will make up for the vagueness in the previous chapter. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I just wanted to get it over with._

_**Disclaimer: **Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise Inc._

**Chapter Four**

Kuga certainly didn't take my announcement so well. I don't blame her. Surely, anyone would be shocked, or even insulted to hear an announcement about their arranged marriage right out of the blue. My family was one of the traditional Japanese families, so it was a different story for me.

What surprised me, though, was that Kuga's a female. I was supposed to be expecting a gentleman of the Kuga family to ask for my hand in marriage. I remembered clearly, it was my father who had made a promise with her mother for me to marry her son.

I had a difficult time convincing Kuga that I wasn't lying. She was determined to exterminate every single one of my kind. Poor girl probably has been hearing lies her whole life.

--

"_Quit bullshitting with me! Your victims might've been fools, but I'm not one of them. I refuse to allow your kind to infest our country!" the young huntress snapped at me as she rose to her feet._

_I didn't even need to brace myself for her attacks. I knew what her next move was going to be. It was great, it made me feel godly. But right now, it felt like a curse. I didn't want to harm Kuga. However, if it meant getting her to listen to me… I didn't really have any other options left._

_She proceeded to charge at me as predicated, my muscles worked quickly in synch with my instincts as I grabbed her wrist and turned so I could twist her arm behind her. I could tell she knew I was going to do that when she avoided the twist and crouched down. I quickly realized her intentions and stepped down on her leg, pinning it to the floor to stop the kick. She managed to support herself up with her free arm and other knee. _

_I couldn't help but smirk and chuckle when she cursed loudly and glared back at me over her shoulder._

"_I'll only let you go if you'll listen to what I have to say."_

_As expected, the girl refused to listen and struggled to get up. Surprisingly, she somehow unleashed her true strength without realizing it and freed herself from my grip. Her attacks came so quickly that I managed to dodge most but suffered few hits to my abdomen and jaw. _

_After a while, I grew impatient with the girl's stubbornness and hit her with one swift hit below her cerebellum, effectively knocking her out._

_--_

It wasn't long before she started to come around to. I couldn't help myself but stare into her mesmerizing hues when they were revealed. A smirk was concealed when she glared at me threateningly.

Before the girl could make a remark, I interrupted her in an apologetic tone, "Now, now… take it easy. I'm sorry I didn't take it easy on you, but you wouldn't listen." With that, I sighed softly.

"And why the hell should I listen to YOU!? You murdered them all… and my mother!" A imaginary dagger struck my heart at that comment. It pained me to even think of Saeko getting murdered. It seems to me that this girl doesn't have one single clue or a memory about her bloodline. It confused me. Why would Saeko not tell her about it? Her next remark pulled me out of my thoughts, causing me to frown slightly.

"Ara, I will admit, I have killed my share of pitiful mortals… but I'm afraid you have the wrong person. You don't know me at all, Kuga. If you really have common sense, you'd know not to jump to conclusions," I stared right into her eyes with a piercing gaze, letting her know I was serious.

"Tell me, what exactly are you?"

I smirked, expecting this kind of question. I was tempted to explain but I had to clear things up first. I tried to explain my fate, but one of her team mates interrupted. It saddened me to see such a young girl bearing the burden of a hunter. She couldn't be any older than thirteen. A katana was held firmly in her hand and my guts told me that she wasn't an amateur at all. It made me wonder how many vampires she had to kill to taint her hands.

I couldn't even muster up the guts to fight a young girl so all I could do was dodge. It was somewhat tough, this girl was just as fast as Kuga.

"Mikoto! Stop! She won't hurt us. She doesn't want to fight," I felt my heart skip a beat, absorbing the shock that had been delivered from the huntress' comment. She trusted me? The answer was given when I looked into her eyes. She wanted to know the truth.

Just then, I could hear a groan coming distinctly from the direction of the fiery haired huntress before a familiar shouting emerged from the hallway.

"Your friend will be fine," I nodded towards Mai, as I remembered Kuga calling her that earlier, "I apologize for Haruka-san's brutal behavior towards her. She is quite protective of Yukino."

"Fujino!" I watched as Haruka stormed into the room. My stomach churned at the sight of concern in her eyes. I had never seen a such thing in her eyes before, so I knew it couldn't be good.

"I can sense him nearby!"

Suddenly, my blood ran so cold that it could turn anyone who touches me into ice. Out of all the times, _HE _had to find us. Then it hit me. What if he was working with Kuga? Whatever trust I had gained into the young huntresses was lost. Turning my attention back to the girl, I ordered Haruka to escort her and her friends to one of the guest rooms. I couldn't let them leave without finding out why they were here in the first place.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you leave…yet," I spoke solemnly as I stared back at Kuga, showing nothing in my eyes.

Wordlessly, I helped Haruka escort the hunters to a guest room just down the hall from my bedroom.

"Please wait here. I will return shortly," Before I could leave the room, I was stopped by Kuga's husky voice.

"Alright… but I expect an explanation about what the hell is going on around here or I'm outta here. I will not hesitate to fight my way out."

I smirked lightly at the threat. Of course, this was expected from the girl.

'_Ara, she's just as stubborn as Nao-chan…'_

"Yes, but you'll have to be patient. In the meanwhile, make yourself comfortable," without giving Kuga a chance to reply, I headed out the door.

"Shizuru-sama, it was him…"

Stopping dead in my tracks, I let out a strained sigh. This was what I had feared… that man finding us again and this time, he probably will have his own army.

"Is he still here?"

"No… he left in the helicopter. It doesn't make sense though… if the hunters were with him, why would he leave them behind? Unless they were used."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I considered it. Although, it gave me a new hope now that I know Kuga couldn't have been working for him. She was nothing but a puppet of his. I let out another sigh, more sharper this time and clenched my hand into a fist. It angered me how that disgusting man had an ability to manipulate people.

"Ookini, Midori-san… please go and tell Haruka to assemble our men for defense, in case."

"Of course… we can never be too safe," the woman grinned at the Countess and wandered off.

After I silently watched Midori disappear off down the hall, I headed back in the room. I heard a gasp of surprise from Mai, who had finally woken up and I smiled slightly, "Please do not be afraid, Mai-san… I will not harm you."

As I looked over at Kuga, I felt like my breath had been taken away from me. The girl had taken off her mask and I couldn't get over the fact of how _gorgeous _she looked. She looked just like Saeko, but much younger. Long and silky blue trends framed her porcelain face perfectly. Her eyes held the same fierce spark as Saeko's did.

The redhead glanced over to Kuga with a nervous yet puzzling look, probably wondering how I had knew her name and the huntress just chuckled, "Long story… anyway… are you going to tell me?" The girl's viridian eyes peered back at me with seriousness.

"Mm… I'd get comfortable if I were you. This'll take a while…" I leaned back against the door and crossed my arms across my chest, "First of all, I _am_ a vampire… probably not the type you've encountered yet… up till earlier, of course. Secondly, I have no intentions of taking over the world… I desire to protect it, as it is my duty to."

"Huh… now that's something new… how did you know my mother anyway?"

I sighed softly as I looked out the window, "Your mother… was a friend of my father's." _And my first crush._

I started to lose attention on everything around me, my mind was drifting off to memory lane and I felt my lips twitch into a small smile as I remembered the dark haired heiress.

--

_**Ten years ago…**_

"_Shizuru-sama, your father wishes to speak with you," the family's butler approached me in the den. It wasn't hard for him to figure out where I was in this huge manor. The den had always been my favorite place to spend time in. The sole reason for that was the piano._

"_Please inform father that I will see him in ten minutes. I wish to finish my lesson first." _

"_Hai, Shizuru-sama."_

_I watched briefly as the butler left before turning my attention back to the instrument in front of me. My fingers begun their slow dance across the ivories, the sweet sounds slowly pulling me into my own world._

_The piano was my only escape. I love my family… but my views on the traditions were different. I believed that it wasn't fair. We should be allowed to choose to marry who we want. The thought of marrying a complete stranger made me shiver in disgust. It was not a good way to build your faith in other people. However, I had no choice._

_When my fingers play their memorized role upon the keys and when the tranquilizing music fazes me, I simply feel free. Because I could play whatever I wanted. Because it was a talent that I earned on my own by learning from someone._

"_It still amazes me how fast you've learned to play," a low and husky voice spoke up behind me._

_A smile graced my lips, "Ookini, Lady Kuga, but really, if it wasn't for you teaching me… I wouldn't be able to play at all."_

"_Shizuru, what's with the formalities? Please call me Saeko. You're my best friend's daughter!" a tall woman with porcelain skin, deep blue hair and dazzling viridian eyes came in view as she sat down next to me. A grin was seen on her face, flashing her perfect white teeth. She was one of the most beautiful women ever, besides my mother. I saw her as a best friend of mine, just like she is with my parents. It was somewhat odd… a ten years old having an adult as a best friend. Although, Saeko said that I didn't even act like a ten years old. _

_I chuckled softly, realizing what I just said, "Ara, forgive me. I guess old habits do die hard. Would you like to play a song with me?"_

"_I'd love to, but I have to talk with your father about something. Perhaps some other time," she laughed softly as I pouted, "I promise, Shizu-chan." _

"_Saeko! It's good to see you here," I smiled as I recognized the voice. It was my father. I could tell he was in a pleasant mood. He greeted Saeko with a hug and ruffled my hair lightly, "What brings you here all the way from London?"_

"_I spoke with him. He has agreed to go through with it. Does she know?"_

"_Ah not yet, I've been meaning to speak with her about it but she insisted on finishing her lesson first," he smiled warmly at me. I figured that it was probably about the traditional marriage thing. The thought of marrying Saeko's son in the future isn't so bad but I still wasn't sure. _

_--_

"Even though I didn't agree with the whole idea of arranged marriage, I knew I had no choice. After all, I am a Fujino. We hold the blood of a superior race. The Fujinos are the chosen ones to protect the world. Which is why we had to follow the tradition," I smiled wryly as the flashback faded away. "Bear with me, Kuga… I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth," With a weary sigh, I sat down in a chair across from the couch the others were seated on.

"The Fujino Manor is a cover. Underneath the manor, lies the gateway to a place that could end the world and create a new one. However, the only person who can achieve that is if he or she is bitten by another superior race to create a race that is terribly powerful and dangerous. It is a power to be feared greatly, especially if it fell into the wrong hands."

"But… there's so many vampires out there!" the huntress cried out incredulously.

"Ara, it's not that simple as you think it is, Kuga. Some say it's nothing but a ridiculous rumor, or as some would like to call it, a Myth. The blending of both breeds into one is beyond impossible to achieve. Many have tried only to end up in failure. It is said that the vampire must have the blood of the Dracula generation… which is rare. My father and I are the last purebloods. The other vampires are what we call 'halfbreeds'. Humans bitten by vampires, but is not turned into a pureblood. Purebloods are born directly from the Dracula generation. It's the same with the Lycans. From what we know, there is only one pureblood Lycan that exists out there and he is a monster. He yearns for the power that hides underneath this Manor and the blood that flows in my veins. There had been some encounters with halfbreed lycans. It's the only sign that the pureblood is out there, somewhere."

"I see… that doesn't explain one thing… what do I have to do with this? I'm not of either race."

"No, you aren't… but she and her son were."

I could've sworn I felt a slight pang of pain in my heart when I saw the searing rage in her eyes when she realized who I was talking about. Her voice almost came out as a hiss as she snapped angrily, "That's not true!"

"She never told you, I see…"

"Tell me what?! She…she couldn't have been a vampire! Not him either…"

"Her mother was a human and her father was a pureblood. The dominant genes had been passed on to her from her father, thus, making her a pureblood as well. I think perhaps you were too young to understand what your mother was."

Kuga let out a growl but didn't say a word as she glared at me. I knew that she knew it was true.

"Your father must've been a human… because you clearly aren't a pureblood nor a half-breed. Your brother, however, had received your mother's dominant genes. I was supposed to marry him and bear a child with him… to carry on the tradition."

The huntress looked away, clearly angry and disgusted.

"I am sorry to be the one telling you this, Kuga… but you need to know."

"Yeah, well… whatever. I… I just don't care anymore… they're gone."

I watched silently as she stood up from the couch.

"Don't think I believe you about all this stuff you just told me, because I truly don't. I was sent here on a mission and I am going to finish it."

"Mm, I see. That's alright. Try to eliminate me all you want, Kuga… I can only assure that you will fail. So, If I were you, I'd surrender and join us."

"Over my dead body."

"You have no way of getting back home, by the way. Your escort left."

"What?!" I managed to hold back an amused smirk as I watched the girl storm over to the window and look out.

"What the hell!? Where the fuck is he!? Grr… don't tell me he sold us out…" The girl's eyes darkened and her fists clenched.

"What?! Kanazaki just left us here?!" Mai cried out incredulously and looked at me with fear.

"So, you three were working for him…" I let out a soft chuckle, "I see that he hasn't changed at all. Still manipulating young girls… how sad. At least he hasn't infected you."

"Infected…? A-are you telling me he's the Lycan pureblood?!"

"Ara, I take it you're the rational one of the team." I smiled at the redhead.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?" Kuga growled at me and I giggled in amusement.

"Now, now… let's not get aggressive. I think you three need some rest. You certainly do look like it anyways. Dinner should be ready soon… don't worry, there's actual food here for you three." I stood up from the chair, "I will have someone to bring you three a fresh set of clothes to change into."

"The hell we're staying here! Come on, Mai. We're leaving."

"…I think we should stay, Natsuki. I mean, Kanazaki just left us here! Surely, you don't expect us to go back _there _and face that traitor? He could have us killed for all we know! I… I might not know this woman, but I think we should give her a chance."

"Thank you… for trusting me, Mai-san. I assure you that you will be safe with us," I smiled genuinely at the girl and glanced at Natsuki.

'_So, that's her name… Na-tsu-ki. What a perfect name for a beautiful girl.'_

"Mai! Have you lost your mind?? She's a vampire! We were sent here to kill her!"

"If she wanted us dead, she would've done that long time ago!"

"…" A scoff was given as Natsuki glared out the window, "…I see your point." She then sighed softly and looked back at me, "Fine. We'll stay… but if you try to do anything… I swear I'll--"

"Ara, you don't need to fret. I have no intentions in harming any of you, I will come and get you when dinner has been prepared. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Just don't get _too _comfortable," A voice sneered out of no where behind me and I smiled lightly.

"Be nice to our guests, Nao-chan."

"Hmph, as if they need my generosity! I'm sure you've already given _her _plenty of that," the redheaded vampire spat out all while glaring at Natsuki. This had amused me to no end… my Nao-chan was jealous!

"Oi, the hell's your problem?" Natsuki glared back at the other girl.

"Ara, why don't we settle this in a mud pit somewhere?" I smirked as Natsuki choked and glared at me with a reddening face.

'_Kyaaa so cute!!'_

Nao rolled her eyes at me and huffed, "Hah… you'd like that, wouldn't you Shizuru-hentai? Tch, whatever. I'm outta here… I can't stand to be in the same room with that mutt. You coming?"

Nao looked at me with pleading eyes. I knew she wanted me away from Natsuki. I merely smiled at the girl and nodded, "Go on. I will be right there shortly." After Nao left the room grumbling profanities under her breath, I let out a weary sigh and looked at Natsuki, "I will see you three shortly. Feel free to make yourselves at home." With that, I opened the door and started to walk out. Then I remembered something and stopped, "Oh by the way, whatever you do, please do not go in the basement. It is very important that you avoid it at all costs." I muttered softly yet seriously and left the room, shutting the door behind me.

--

I felt better once I had requested that one of my maids to bring Natsuki and her friends a fresh set of clothes and for dinner to be prepared, I headed back to my bedroom.

No longer than a minute later after I entered my room, I found myself pinned against the wall and bright green eyes glaring at me.

"You sure were taking your _sweet _time with her…"

"Ara, ara… is Nao jealous?" I smirked as she growled at me.

"Shut it, Fujino…" Just when I was about to make another remark, a pair of soft lips roughly silenced me and I shivered when I felt slender hands burning their touch into my skin up my shirt.

Vaguely, in the back of my head, all I saw was images of a certain blue haired wolf and her hands doing the same things to me.

_TBC._

_**Author's Notes: **Yes, yes I know… that sucked. But hey! At least it's over with. :D _

_**Next chapter: **Natsuki's curiosity implores her to venture into dangerous territories. _


	5. Unanswered Questions

**_Disclaimer: _**_Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise Inc._

_To all those who read and reviewed, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I'm definitely continuing it, no worries. :D_

**Chapter Five**

Everything's spiraling out of control. First, I get sent here to kill Shizuru… then I find out about this bullshit about my family from her, a vampire stranger at that . Then I find that Kanazaki had fucking left us behind. I didn't know who to trust anymore.

"Natsuki…"

"What," I retorted icily. I didn't care if that sounded harsh right now. All I wanted to do was find that womanizer and beat the daylights out of him.

"We have to do something!" Mai snapped back.

"Like what? Our only way out of here was that damn helicopter…" I grumbled softly as I gazed out the window. Then I remembered what the Countess had said earlier.

"…She said something about staying away from the basement. I'm betting you there's something down there that Shizuru isn't telling us about. I gotta find out."

"Don't be stupid!" Mai hissed to me, but of course I didn't listen.

"Reito's not here. He's a traitor. Which means we don't have to play it by the book anymore. Fuck the book. I'm not leaving this place till I find out what really happened with my mother and why Reito has turned against us."

Just as when I was ready to head out the door, it opened and a young girl in black leather pants and white long-sleeved shirt walked in. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and she had brown hair that ran mid-length down her back. A smile was presented on her face. It was almost infectious. She seemed too… happy. For a vampire anyway.

"Hello ladies. Fujino-sama had requested that I bring you clothes to change into… I'm Aoi, by the way. Dinner's being prepared right now, I'll come back and fetch you when it's ready." She then disappeared out the door and I looked down at the clothes that were left on the bed with a soft sigh.

"You go ahead get changed, Mai. I'm gonna look around a bit."

"Natsuki…"

I didn't bother arguing and looked back at Mai.

"…Don't do anything stupid."

"Hai, hai. I'll be fine. Just get changed. If Aoi comes back and asks where I am, I'm looking for the bathroom." Without giving Mai time to reply, I headed out the door.

--

Muffled moans suddenly stopped as the door to the Countess' bedroom flung open.

"FUJ--GAH! Put some clothes on!" The blonde vampire blushed furiously at the sight of the two entangled on the bed and slammed the door behind her after stepping out.

Shizuru giggled in pure amusement as Nao just groaned and muttered something about getting an anti-Haruka lock on the door.

"You better get your butt down to the office after you're done and hurry up!" Haruka bellowed before dashing off to the office.

"You know, you probably should stop feeling me up and talk to her before she freaking flips on me," Nao muttered and futilely attempted to swat away a pair of wandering hands.

A huff followed by a pout, "Ikezu, you're no fun anymore."

--

Several minutes later after Shizuru had straightened herself out, she headed in her office across the master's bedroom.

"Why are you being crasy, Fujino?! Letting that… that disgraceful girl stay here!"

"T-that's _crazy, _Haruka…"

"Not now, Yukino!" Haruka slammed her fist down on the table and glared at the Countess, "She could be working for him for all we know!"

"I wouldn't worry so much, Haruka. I doubt that this girl works for Kanazaki… he left them behind."

"It could be a trick to throw us off!"

"But Natsuki is Saeko's daughter."

At last, the blonde was at a loss. She hadn't expected this at all. She only blinked and scratched the back of her head, "Well, that's one less concern for us… but we still should keep our guard up. I have a nagging feeling, like something's going to happen."

This had worried Shizuru because she knew Haruka had a tendency to have the right hunches.

"Mm, very well. I will keep an eye on her."

--

It was my mother.

Staring at the picture in disbelief, I started to remember bits and pieces of my past. Moments that I'd rather to have kept forgotten.

In the picture, the same one that I had noticed when I first came in here… I figured that the red-eyed man was Shizuru's father. Although, the other man still remained as a mystery to me.

'_Mother… now I know why you always went out at night. Heh, how could I have been so blind.' _

My gaze shifted back to the woman in the middle.

'_But then again, perhaps it's good that I was.'_

I shivered at the thought of being a vampire. It meant eternal life to me and I loathed the thought of it. What good comes out of living forever and watching slowly as every single one of your friends and family die? It almost makes me see death as a warm welcome. What confused me was that my mother died. If she was a pureblood, she should've survived. Which means Shizuru had to be lying.

'_Speaking of death, I hope Takeda hasn't been killed…' _

Don't get me wrong, I don't like Takeda like that. But it still didn't mean I'd like to see him dead. That'd be harsh, even for someone like me. I only hoped he had ran away like he usually would.

Backtracking to my priority, I turned away from the picture and continued down the hall right of the picture.

It was then I noticed I wasn't alone and quickly moved back against the wall. Around the corner, there was a somewhat muscular man with dark tan hair and golden eyes. He was dressed in black suit pants and black shirt. I could tell he was probably a vampire too. Also, he seemed to be guarding a room.

The man let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall behind him, "Man, I'm hungry… dinner better hurry."

"Tate! Come and get your food!" A feminine voice shouted it. It sounded like Aoi.

"Finally," the man groaned as he pulled away from the wall and quickly made way down the hall.

'_Yeah, finally is right. Now let's see what's there…' _

I moved towards the door swiftly yet stealthily and pulled out my lock pick from my pocket. It only took a try or two to unlock it and I made sure I closed it after I slipped in the room.

Only it wasn't exactly a room. It was another short hallway leading down to a staircase. The floor was carpeted so it was easier for me to sneak down the steps quietly. At the bottom of the steps, I approached a large window in the wall, allowing me to see in another room. The window looked pretty thick, so I assumed it was soundproof.

In the next room, the walls and the floor looked like they were made out of cut stone. In the middle of the room, a chair stood. It looked like a throne from what I could see. Although something else caught my attention. In the very back of the room, behind the throne, it looked like a large box. Big enough to fit a person in there. On the lid of the box, it looked like a letter was engraved in it.

'_Probably a coffin for one of the vampires.' _

A loud noise captured my attention as I looked away from the window and to my right. Someone was coming.

Quickly, I moved back up against the wall behind a pillar and held my breath.

One of the guards exited the room and headed up the steps. I assumed they had been called for dinner as well.

I let out a relieved sigh before dashing to the door the guard had exited through and jammed my foot between the door and the frame to stop it from closing. After peering in the room to make sure there wasn't anyone else there, I entered and shut it quietly.

In the room, a row of televisions were set up on a table and some sort of intercom in front of them. I figured that this was the security's room, to keep an eye on whatever it was I saw out there.

On one of the televisions, a better view of the box in that room was given. I could see the letter on the lid more clearly which was a 'K'.

'_K… wonder what that stands for. Kanazaki… or Kuga? Nah, can't be either.' _

"I thought I had told you to stay away from this room at all costs," an accented voice threw me off guard behind me and I spun around.

Shizuru was standing there with her arms crossed across her chest and I didn't like the look on her face. She seemed… mad.

"Not only you could've done something you might regret in here, the guards would've killed you without hesitation," the Countess warned me in a low tone, "Now come, dinner's ready." Next to her, was one of the guards glowering at me.

Without a word, I obliged and followed the Countess back upstairs to the dining room.

The dining room was amazingly huge too. In the center of the room, a long table made out of black and white marble stood. Along the sides of the table, various women and men that I reckoned were vampires, looked up at me and muttered softly to each other in a questioning manner.

'_Tch, don't worry you bloodsuckers… I don't want to be here for long either.'_

I sat down along with Mai and Mikoto at one end of the table. On the other end, Shizuru sat and smiled at Aoi when the maid served her dinner.

The aroma smelled heavenly as the food was placed in front of us. My stomach growled lowly. Eager to satiate my hunger, I dug in the food. It wasn't long before I felt a warm sensation like someone was watching me. I looked up and saw Shizuru gazing at me from across the table. I stared back at her as if I was in a trance.

'_What are you trying to tell me, Shizuru? What is it that you want me to see down there?'_

She was the one who broke the eye contact as she looked at that little bitch of a redhead vampire. I think her name was Nao. I don't like her at all. I don't like it more when Shizuru's with her… huh? What the hell am I thinking? I shook my head and resumed eating my food in silence.

_TBC_

_**Next chapter: **Someone is brutally murdered. _


	6. Immortality

_**A/N: **__And here's the next chapter… finally. :Faceplants: I hope this is just as good as other chapters… enjoy!_

**Immortality**

_At first, I wasn't sure if I was dreaming. _

_Until I saw something missing as I wandered down the same hallway from when I first came to this place. The picture with the three of them, my mother and the two young men. It wasn't there across from the double doors. _

_Ignoring this fact, I moved down the hallway a little further past the double doors. I had this urge to glance in the mirror next to the empty space so I did. In the reflection, I saw a little girl. I knew I was dreaming just then… of my past. _

_It wasn't long before I heard something nearby, a piano playing._

_My eyes widened slightly as I recognized the familiar piece that whoever was playing at this moment. _

_For a second there, I hoped it was my father… but in the back of my head, doubts lingered. He disappeared without a single trace on the night of my seventh birthday. He was announced dead a few months later. The only fact that disturbed me was that they never found his body. I had suspected mother knew something, but I never bothered to ask again. It tore me up, seeing her smile so sadly when I asked once._

_I had to see for myself, that it wasn't him. So, I reached out and grabbed the doorknob and shivered slightly from the cold metal. _

_As expected, I didn't find what I hoped for when I opened the door. The figure at the piano was a young girl. She looked about my age. My eyes intently studied her face, I could tell she was in a content mood. Her eyes were shut and her lips curved up slightly into a small smile. _

_I didn't even snap out of my little trance when she stopped playing and opened her eyes to stare right back into mine. _

_All I saw was red and heard a soft accented voice._

"_Ara."_

_--_

I let out a soft yelp as I awoke from the dream and breathed shakily, "W-what…"

I never remembered seeing that girl in my dreams before. This was the first time and it disturbed me. Although, what disturbed me the most was that the girl had to be Shizuru. She spoke like the Countess. She even had the woman's eyes. The other thing was that I've visited this place when I was a little girl too.

Letting out a soft sigh, I sat up and rubbed my temple frustratingly.

I've been having more dreams ever since I came to this place, and different ones too. I always used to dream about that horrible one with my mother being murdered.

But I had to admit, it was nice to have different ones for a change.

Shifting my weight around, I put my feet down to the cool floor and stared out the window across from me. I wanted to go home. Too bad, Mai and strangely enough, Shizuru, had protested against that last night when I requested it.

Mai's reason was obvious. She was concerned that if we had returned home, Reito would be there waiting for us to do something drastic. I couldn't blame her.

Shizuru, on the other hand, only wanted me to stay here. Didn't say exactly why though.

I only shrugged it off and agreed to stay.

'_How stupid of me… but then again, if somebody in this house knows about my parents… I have to find out.' _

Glancing over to the pull-out bed that the couch in this room had, I smiled wryly as I watched Mai and Mikoto sleep contently. It was astounding. They're in a strange place full of vampires, yet they sleep as if they were in their own homes.

I let out a soft scoff and muttered, "Only if I could sleep that good at home…"

Fresh air was needed. I needed to breathe. I had to get out of this room for a little while. Quietly, I slipped my boots on and snuck out of the room without disturbing the sleeping girls. The path from the bed to the door was memorized well enough and I made it to the door without waking up the girls. When I opened the door quietly and slipped out, a chill shot down my spine, causing me to shiver.

Luckily enough, there were dim lights left on in the hallway. As I remembered seeing a porch of some sort when I was escorted to the guest room, I proceeded down the hall to my right.

More pictures were hung up on the walls and it creeped me out. I could've sworn there were eyes behind the pictures watching me. However, something else caught my attention.

It sounded like a distant howl.

'_Huh. Wolves…? What the hell would vampires be doing with wolves?' _

It sounded like it came from down the hallway in the direction I was going in, so I kept on walking slowly and came to a row of windows on both sides of the hallway. I could see the bright shine of the moon flowing through the windows.

Then I heard it again, another howl… longer this time. It sounded like the wolf was calling out to its comrades.

Surrendering to my curiosity, I went to the first window on the right side and peered out. A soft gasp escaped my lips the minute I saw the sight outside.

It _was _a wolf, except that it was the whitest wolf I've ever seen. It's fur was as white as the snow. Not even a speck of gray or black was seen on its coat of rich fur. I wanted to pet it so bad.

I looked to my right and saw the door leading out to the den area, from what it looked like outside. The wolf appeared to be boxed in a fairly large area of trees with a pond of clean water. Instead of fences around the area, it looked like another hallways were surrounding the area.

The wolf was busy sniffing at the ground when I slipped out the door quietly. I stopped quickly and tensed up the minute the wolf jerked it's head up and stared at me.

Even it's eyes were breathtaking. They were a unique shade of blue, like ice.

Cautiously, I crouched down and smiled lightly. I used to get along so well with wolves when I was a young girl. I knew how to approach them without startling them and building a sense of trust with them.

The wolf just stood there, stared back into my eyes and moved into a defensive stance. I had expected this and hung back patiently. After giving it a minute or so, I held my hand out and whispered softly, "Hey… it's alright. I don't wanna hurt you…"

Surprisingly, the wolf seemed to trust me and slowly moved towards my outstretched hand. I held my breath as it got close and sniffed at my hand curiously. I couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. However, the wolf then backed away abruptly and let out a soft whine. I frowned and wondered why it did that. It wasn't long before my question was answered.

"Ara, I see that Minako has warmed up to you."

I stumbled back onto my behind, startled and looked back over my shoulder to find Shizuru standing at the doorway with her arms crossed across her chest, an amused smile spread across her lips.

"Jesus… will you quit doing that!"

"Whatever does Kuga-san mean?" I growled and glared at Shizuru as she blinked innocently. I knew she was just teasing. Grumbling, I pulled myself back up on my feet and brushed the dirt off my pants.

"You're very lucky though that they seem to like you," I blinked at the seriousness in the vampire's voice and frowned. _'Wait a minute… they?' _I watched her as she looked over to a different spot near me and I followed her gaze, only to find she was looking at the shadowed part of the den.

"It's alright. She will not harm you nor Minako. Come," I gulped softly as I heard Shizuru comment with a soft purr. My eyes remained glued on the shadow and the shock devoured me as another wolf stepped forth.

'_There was another wolf in here and I hadn't seen it?! How could I be so… stupid…'_

My thoughts trailed off as I gawked at the second wolf in awe. It's fur was blacker than the night sky and it shone slightly under the moonlight. It's eyes were something else though. They were vivid purple and held a dangerous glint in them.

Shizuru's soft chuckle pulled me out of my reverie and I realized the wolf had moved over to Minako and licked its cheek in a protective manner before setting it's gaze back on me.

"My, my… it would seem that Reiko is jealous," the Countess teased lightly as she walked towards the wolves and crouched down by Reiko. The black wolf greeted her owner by licking her cheek and wagged it's tail happily.

"I've never seen wolves like these… they're beautiful," I muttered softly, slightly hurt that Reiko liked Shizuru better than me. But then again, they had known the vampire longer than they knew me.

"Mm… they're not your ordinary wolves though," Shizuru replied as she ruffled Reiko's fur and stood up, "They were originally lycans."

"Huh… then what are they doing here?"

"_Originally, _Kuga. They no longer side with the Lycans. They're just like us though…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Immortal," I could feel a light shiver shake through my body from the way she whispered that word and turned to gaze straight into my eyes.

"…How can you live like that? It… sounds like hell. I mean, how can you bear with watching your friends and family die as you live on forever."

The way she laughed irritated me, but I bit back my growl and waited for her to say something.

Shizuru sighed and shook her head, "Mortals… it's funny how their definition of immortal betrays the fact of their being. How can they know what the real definition of immortal is when they never have experienced it."

My breathing had softened as I watched the Countess walk towards me then past me to the door.

"Come, let us go and get a drink. I shall explain to you what immortality truly is."

Silently, I sent one last look at the wolves and followed the vampire inside. I waited patiently as Shizuru shut the door and gestured for me to follow. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable to be standing this close to her. Deciding to ignore this fact, I walked alongside the Countess towards the kitchen at a steady pace.

The looming silence was starting to get to me after a minute or so… then finally, she started talking in a soft voice.

"Immortality does not mean living forever and not being able to die. Immortality, to us, means rapid regeneration. As in we heal at a remarkable speed. We _can _be killed, believe it or not. Unlike humans, if we get a deep cut, it heals within a half hour. Depending on how bad the cut is. However, if we were to have a limb cut off, not counting our head, it takes us a quite while to heal and regenerate it. Mortals just lose it forever."

"So, if you were beheaded, you'd be dead correct?"

"Of course," I frowned slightly as I watch a wry smile creep it's way on the woman's lips, "Because obviously, the brain is vital. I know you're not that dumb, Kuga."

"Natsuki. Just please call me Natsuki," I had to hold back a smirk as I saw the surprise on Shizuru's face. Honestly, I was surprised myself as well, letting someone of the species that I loathed the most, call me by my first name. However, it was different with Shizuru. I somehow felt that I could trust her.

"Alright… Natsuki," Gah, I even liked the way my name rolled off her tongue and it made my insides twist.

"A-anyway… those wolves…"

"Ah, they were formerly known to be the pets of a pureblood Lycan. The Lycan treated them like dirt… he would abuse them till they bled. Then one night, the Lycan had gotten badly wounded from a battle with a vampire, the wolves took that as an advantage to turn against him and killed him. You know how wolves kill, correct?"

I nodded quietly. Wolves would lunge at their prey and clench their jaws around the prey's neck hard, crushing it and never let go till the prey fell limp.

"Well, when they killed the Lycan… they drank it's blood and the blood gave them immortality. The ability to regenerate rapidly like us. They were the very first wolves who had accomplished that. No other animal was able to, for some reason. Even halfbreeds. Yukino had explained once that she believes those wolves were _supposed_ to be pureblood Lycans, but they somehow didn't receive the complete set of genes of a pureblood Lycan… only the set of the wolf, not the human part. I know it's complicated, so try not to think too much into it," Shizuru had said with a soft chuckle. I assumed she had seen the unbelieving expression on my face. She was right. It was way too complicated. I sighed softly and rubbed the back of my neck. Idly, in the back of my mind, I took note of the name Shizuru mentioned… Yukino. I wondered who she is.

"Haruka and I were patrolling the premises of the Manor one night when we found the wolves wandering onto our grounds. They were quick to take a liking to us… well, not so quick to Haruka at first though," Shizuru said with a chuckle, "So, we decided to take them in. I had noticed a deep cut on Minako's right side then a half hour later after I released her and Reiko in the den, I returned with food and found the cut wasn't there anymore. That was when I assumed they weren't ordinary."

I didn't even notice we had been walking for a while till I saw Shizuru stop by the door to the kitchen.

"What would Natsuki like to drink?" The woman asked me softly and opened the door, letting me head in first.

"Anything that's not thick and red," I muttered and walked in. I heard the woman chuckle behind me and follow me in.

"Ikezu. It's not like we have a choice to drink blood. It's like air for us… without it, we cannot breathe. Besides, we have stocks of blood in storage. It is required for us to have a stock." The thought had disgusted me slightly but also it made me angry. Because she was made like this and I could tell she didn't enjoy it sometimes.

"What happens if you run out?" I couldn't help but ask, my curiosity kept growing and growing as I learned these things from her.

"Then… our hunger for blood would become unbearable and we would reach the point where we cannot stand it… and we'd be forced to turn on other people out there… to kill so we could feed."

Hearing this from her made me wonder who had bitten all those people out there, the halfbreeds that were lurking about. I started to feel a bit sick to my stomach when I realized it could've been Shizuru.

"I think that's enough talk about vampires. You're not looking well… here's some water," the Countess pushed a cup of iced water in front of me and I graciously took the cup, gulping down the water as if I was deprived from it.

"Wait… one more thing… how did you know the history of the wolves?"

"Nao was the vampire who worked for the same pureblood that owned the wolves. She was the one who wounded the Lycan severely. Apparently, she knew those wolves were capable of turning against their ungrateful master."

My eyes widened slightly in shock. That little redheaded brat used to work for the Lycans? This started to worry me slightly. I knew I never liked that girl.

As soon I opened my mouth to say something else, a loud crashing sound shook the bones in my body and I could've sworn I heard a more fierce howl.

No longer than few minutes later, Aoi burst through the door with a pale face and stuttered, "S-Shizuru-sama!! They've returned!! She has came back for you!"

I felt a heavy thump next to my hand on the counter and I glanced over to find a dent in the counter from where Shizuru had punched it. Gulping slightly, I looked up at her. What I saw really frightened me. Her eyes had turned into a shade of magenta and her fangs were visible now. I could tell she was furious.

"Aoi… take Natsuki back to the guest room now, I will deal with _her,_" I flinched at how she hissed out the last word.

"No! Let me help you!"

"You don't know what they're capable of. _Please _go back to your friends and stay with them," without another word, she stormed past me and into the hallway.

'_Shizuru… what's going on?'_

I had no choice but to head back to the bedroom with Aoi. I had hoped Mai was asleep still, but unfortunately when I headed in, I found her clinging to Mikoto in bed stricken with fear.

"Natsuki!! What's going on?!"

I watched quietly as Aoi left the room, "I don't know, Mai… but I don't think Shizuru is the bad guy in all of this."

Distantly, I heard loud crashing sounds like glass breaking. I wanted to run out there and help Shizuru. I wanted to smash some faces in. But I knew I couldn't. Against these guys, I was defenseless and it made me angry.

----

_Meanwhile, back at the Headquarters…_

A door opened and a young man poked his head in, glancing around timidly, "S-sir…?"

The room was dark. The lights had been turned off and the only light was the moonlight shining through the wall of windows behind a long table. It was eerily quiet and it made the man even more nervous.

"Ah… Takeda-san, come in," a deep voice drawled from the large leather chair at the head of the table. The chair was turned towards the window, but the man knew who it was.

"R-reito?" Takeda stepped in and winced slightly from the pain tearing through his body. He had somehow made it out of the Manor alive after a little fight with one of the vampires.

"Hmm… you seem to be in pain," Reito muttered softly and turned the chair to inspect the young man. He could see few cuts and bruises on Takeda's face and his posture was slightly crouching.

"Why'd you leave us like that?! This bitch vampire was about to kill me! You could've came in and helped us! Now only god knows what the others' status are… they could be dead…" the man groaned and shook his head, shaking the thoughts of a dead Natsuki out of his head and glared at Reito when the older man chuckled, "What's so damned funny about getting nearly killed?!"

"Ah, forgive me…" Takeda gulped at the dangerous gleam of the other's grey eyes through the darkness, "The thought of getting smacked around by a vampire was just amusing. But… I could give you something that could help you defeat them."

As soon Takeda saw something he did not like, he attempted to back up and grab the doorknob.

But it was too late.

Within a blink of the eye, Reito wasn't at the head of the table anymore but in front of the young man and grinning down at him maliciously, "Now, now… no need to be afraid. You'll feel better… much better soon… trust me."

Takeda froze in place as he stared up at Reito. He had _fangs. _Not only they were fangs of a vampire… they looked like the fangs of a wolf.

An agonized scream tore through the silent lobby of the headquarters and no one was there to hear it.

----

"W-wait! Please! Don't kill me… p-please… I'll do anything…" a young woman sobbed as she knelt down in front of her assailant.

"Don't worry," The assailant purred and lifted the girl's head up with a finger and grinned, "I'll be gentle… I'm just hungry."

The woman whimpered as she stared back into a pair of bright green eyes and suddenly, she felt her mind grow hazy. Her muscles started to feel tired and heavy.

"You won't even notice…" the other whispered softly, leaning in closer to the woman's neck and licked at it, "It'll all be over in a minute…" With that, the assailant sunk her fangs in the creamy neck and slurped at the blood.

Few minutes later, the vampire stood up and licked at her lips. Her eyes skimmed over the woman's limp body and grinned, "Oops… I think I was too hungry… ah well. Shit happens." The vampire let out a wicked laugh and walked out of the alley, licking the remains of the blood off her fangs.

_TBC_

_**Next chapter: **Haruka smashes some faces in! …Literally._


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